Former referee Keith Hackett has alleged that phone calls were made instructing pundits to tone down their criticism of match officials, particularly following Arsenal’s loss to Newcastle United. During that weekend, Arsenal experienced a couple of questionable refereeing decisions: Bruno Guimaraes was not penalized for a head collision with Jorginho, and Newcastle’s goal was allowed to stand despite a clear foul on Gabriel Magalhaes in the build-up.
Interestingly, much of the post-match analysis has centered around Mikel Arteta’s reaction to these controversial decisions, rather than focusing on the decisions themselves. Notably, Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have been vocal in supporting the referees and downplaying Arteta’s complaints.
Hackett’s claim suggests that there may have been efforts to influence the tone of criticism by pundits when discussing these refereeing decisions. This raises questions about the dynamics of how match officiating is discussed and scrutinized in the media.
Former referee Keith Hackett claimed to have been informed of phone conversations telling people to downplay criticism of match officials, even though he did not directly name Neville or Carragher.
Hackett asserted, “I knew the two individuals had received a call and were told to [stay] in line and to calm down in their criticism of match officials.”
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“Everyone watching football saw the shove (on Gabriel), and that’s when the goal should have been disqualified.”
A similar allegation was made by football insider Team News and Ticks, who stated that in exchange for Neville and Carragher giving Sky Sports an easy ride, Howard Webb has granted Sky Sports greater access to referees.
Right now, these are only unconfirmed rumors, but a lot of Arsenal supporters undoubtedly believe they would clarify the media’s interpretation of a few bad choices made over the weekend.
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